“We had never asked for a curfew," said Mr Patton.

On Wednesday, Mr Andrews said police believed the curfew would help with enforcement. "It’s all about, the health advice [says] limit movement. Righto, police then say, ‘these are hard rules to enforce, we reckon there’s a bunch of people who are out that shouldn’t be out.

"[Police said] 'Give us the clearest, simplest set of rules you can. And [give us] a curfew that says ‘unless you’ve got a lawful reason to be outside after 8, soon 9pm, until 5am, then you can’t be’.' It is much easier, it is much easier for Victoria Police."

Chief Commissioner Patton, however, said Victoria Police's policy department received a copy of the Chief Health Officer guidelines "a couple of hours" before the curfew was due to start.

"We haven't had any input into them," he said.

"It's not a decision that I was involved in. This is a decision that appears in the CHO directions. How it came to be there, I'm unaware."

Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton on Tuesday said it was not his decision to introduce the curfew and while he hadn't previously thought about whether it was a good idea, he believed it "probably" was.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt urged Mr Andrews to consider removing the curfew on Wednesday night because it had not been recommended by Professor Sutton.

“We would like to see all and as many of the restrictions lifted as soon as the medical conditions allow, if there’s no medical basis for something then obviously that’s then something entirely within the remit of the Victorian government to address,” said Mr Hunt, who earlier this week pressured the Victorian government to release more information about its modelling.

“And we’d encourage them to consider that in the coming days”.

Chief Commissioner Patton said it was beyond his "knowledge or expertise" whether the curfew had reduced COVID-19 infection numbers.

"I’m not trying to duck it, but what it means is simply for us, there’s been less movement overnight, that’s very clear," he said.

"From our perspective, less people being around, our resources tell us with less movement we’ve seen less parties and things like that, so it may have, but I can’t directly say."

Mr Andrews said the curfew was partially aimed at stopping people "sneaking around" and denied all of Melbourne was being punished for the misbehaviour of a select few.

"Under that, your definition of punishment is not going for a jog at midnight or going to the supermarket at 10pm. That may be a burden for some people, and I apologise for that, but the benefit far outweighs, in my judgment, the benefit far outweighs that burden."

Opposition leader Michael O'Brien responded by saying people who work until the night should be able to walk their dogs at 8.30pm, for example, and demanded that the "captain's call" curfew be overturned.

The curfew, which will be extended to begin from 9pm after this Sunday, is slated to remain until October 26, or when Melbourne has a fortnightly average of five or fewer cases per day.

It was introduced on August 2 as part of Melbourne's stage four restrictions.